The second block of the hurling championship is for many players their favourite. The reason being there is less running, more hurling drills in training and there is plenty of practice matches as well as league games going on. I like to call this block ‘the break through’ block. The reason being that this is the stage is where cob-webs come off the players and everyone is playing for positions. The hunger and drive out of the players at this stage can make the hairs stand on the back of your neck. Every player has a point to prove, they want to show that they are good enough to play on this team and that they will put their bodies on the line to prove that. Some of the practice matches that are being played may be outside of their County which means lots of travelling, money for fuel and time away from family and friends. For some of the younger players this might sound ideal as the only thing they might miss in the day is mammy’s dinner. For some of the older players they might miss their toddler’s first steps, first word or their anniversaries. All of which I’m sure the players nor their families would want them to miss. This for many clubs can be the beginning of a long year as around this time players start to announce their plans of travelling for the summer on J1 visa’s or they are thinking of emigrating for work meaning they will miss crucial parts of the championship. That’s a big decision to make, giving up two to three months of your summer to go away leaving club championship behind. It can be a gruelling decision for any person to make. The yearning for the County title is bursting out of you like a farmer racing out of mass to see if a cow has calved. Each player and management team is dreaming big and why shouldn’t they? Everyone can dream.
The third block I like to call ‘show time!’ It’s championship, all the work, all the tears and all the blood over the past few months have all been for this. It’s full of hard hits, amazing scores and tears of sorrow if you lose. Only can G.A.A. championship bring entire communities together, it doesn’t matter what age, sex, religion or sexual orientation you are, when your local club is playing championship you’re all the one entity. You can hear the crowd on the sidelines shouting and roaring when you get a score and cursing your name when you do something wrong. A lot of things can be said during a game. It’s great when everyone is cheering you on and saying “God he’s a right lad!” But what happens when things are not going right for you on the day? (Happens to me a lot) You miss a jab lift, hit the ball wide or stupidly foul an opposing player? Then you have to listen to the people who know it all. The people who one day might say you’re great and the next day give out about you. It can really test a player’s and management’s self-esteem. But maybe that’s what drives management and players, the chance to prove that they don’t care what other people say, that they can achieve their goals and they can handle the pressure. As James Franco in the film ‘The Interview’, “They hate us cause they ain’t us!” I have not yet won a senior hurling County final with my club in Co. Wexford, am I disheartened by this? No. It makes me want it even more, to feel the glory, to look each of my team mates in the eyes and finally say that yes this was our year!
Is it all worth it?
Author: Rob O'Leary - 4th year BB (Hons) in Recreation and Sport Management student.